On Tuesday, passing an urgent order at 2 am, Gujarat High Court has dismissed a bunch of petitions seeking permission to conduct Jagannath Rath Yatra at Ahmedabad in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Supreme Court Order permitted Jagganth Rath Yathra in Puri, the petitioners, including State Government, submitted that permission be granted with conditions.

Concluding the two hours hearing, the bench held:

"There may not be denial about the order passed by the Supreme Court today, but the situation in Ahmedabad on account of pandemic of COVID-19 cannot be compared with the situation in Puri or in the State of Orissa. Despite the fact that assurance being given by the State and all other applicants we still do not find any good ground to recall or modify our order dated 20.06.2020. All the Civil Applications are accordingly rejected. We make it clear that on account of paucity of time and the urgency of the order being made available to the parties, we have not dealt with the reasons in detail."

The High Court in  its June 20 order had stayed the proposed Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad citing concerns of COVID-19 spread due to large gathering of people.

The petitoners though sought to modifiy the order citing the SC order allowing Jagannath Rath Yatra at Puri on conditions.

The Court though has refused to do so stating that Puri and Ahemdabad has different conditions altogther.

The order has been passed by a division bench comprised by Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala on 23-06-2020.

Read Order Here:

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